Big Ten Basketball: March 4

Last Night's Games

UCLA Bruins 72, Nebraska Cornhuskers 52

Kind of...: Almost every team throws in at least one clunker over the course of the season. It's impressive, but probably also extra worrying to its fans, that Nebraska waited until March to throw in theirs. If the Huskers go out early in the NCAA everybody will say they peaked too soon/weren't really that good, etc. If they don't, nobody will remember this.

Good win for UCLA, though. Bid is solid. You never know, but might go so far as to say that they've clinched a non-play-in bid. Assuming Wisconsin beats Maryland tonight, UCLA is probably not getting the 6-seed at the BTT, which is a good thing in that it means they're opening game is very likely to be one of Iowa/OSU/Indiana, which wouldn't be a damaging loss, and could help the profile with a win.

Illinois Fighting Illini 80, Oregon Ducks 54

Kind of...: A blowout, as expected. But a sluggish blowout, more about Oregon's ineptitude than Illinois going thermonuclear. Triple bye is all but locked. Basically playing to maintain the 2-seed at this point.

AlmaOtter: Our former student-manager and current walk-on scored 5 points in this one. That pretty much tells you how the game went. (Very cool for him!)

Tonight's Games

#49 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11) at #35 Indiana Hoosiers (17-12, 8-10)

6:30 pm, BTN

Kind of...: "Leaking oil" is too weak a term for what Indiana is doing right now. With a loss tonight, it will be "circling the drain." TCU, VCU, and Virginia Tech all got wins last night (Virginia Tech's really doesn't matter) so it's not like the other bubble teams are going to default the Hoosiers to a bid. You never want 40 minutes of basketball to be a referendum on something as big as "this team's heart" or "this coach's ability," but let's just say that, narratively, this game gets a longer chapter in the book on the '25-'26 Hoosiers than most.

#28 Ohio State Buckeyes (18-11, 10-8) at #127 Penn State Nittany Lions (12-17, 3-15)

7:30 pm, Peacock

Kind of...: Well (well well), this would just be hilarious, wouldn't it? If you go by bracketmatrix (but bump up TCU for their win @ Texas Tech last night), the last four would be: Ohio State Indiana, Santa Clara and either New Mexico or VCU. If the it really turns out that two B1G schools are playing two mid-majors in the first four, I will be ecstatic. Of course, OSU and Indiana have to play each other, so still not that likely. Let me dream, though, okay?

MaximumSam: Fun fact: the rumor is OSU paid Gabe Cupps $600K to sign up. He currently has more fouls than points. Good work if you can get it!

#123 Maryland Terrapins (11-18, 4-14) at #22 Wisconsin Badgers (20-9, 12-6)

8 pm, FS1

Kind of...: BYU and Kentucky both had losses by reasonable margins last night, so maybe Wisconsin got off the 7 line (they're the top 7-seed at bracketmatrix). A loss tonight would maybe get them off the 7 line in a bad way. Otherwise, @Purdue on Saturday is a house money game and we see how the chips fall in the BTT. But a 6-seed there likely means Minnesota or USC on Thursday, which would only help so much.

Whatever, Wisconsin is team variance. They're see in the NCAA matters less than most.

#7 Purdue Boilermakers (22-7, 12-6) at #67 Northwestern Wildcats (13-16, 5-13)

8:30 pm, BTN

Kind of...: Feels like Nebraska, Purdue, MSU, and Illinois are going to make up half of the 2/3 seeds at the NCAAs and that is yet to be sorted. Not literally true, of course, but those are the stakes for Purdue tonight. A triple bye would require Nebraska to lose at home to Iowa. If the Boilers go 2-0 this week, a 3 seeds would seem pretty close to locked, and the 4 vs. 5 quarterfinal Friday at the BTT could open the door to a possible 2-seed for Purdue.

#61 USC Trojans (18-11, 7-11) at #48 Washington Huskies (14-15, 6-12)

10:30 pm, BTN

Kind of...: Can we just call this game the "wreckage bowl" or some such?

Non-B1G Games of Interest

ASUN - 1st Round
9 Jacksonville Dolphins v 8 Bellarmine Knights, 12 ET, ESPN+
12 North Alabama Lions v. 5 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, 2:30 ET, ESPN+
10 Stetson Hatters v. 7 Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 5 ET, ESPN+
11 North Florida Ospreys v. 6 West Georgia Wolves, 7:30 ET, ESPN+

Big South - 1st Round
9 Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs v 8 South Carolina Upstate Spartans, 7:30 ET, ESPN+

Horizon League - 2nd Round
10 Cleveland State Vikings at 1 Wright State Raiders, 7 ET, ESPN+
9 Youngstown State Penguins at 2 Robert Morris Colonials, 7 ET, ESPN+
8 Milwaukee Panthers at 3 Detroit Mercy Titans, 7 ET, ESPN+
7 Northern Kentucky Norse at 4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 7 ET, ESPN+
Green Bay defeated Purdue Fort Wayne yesterday

NEC - Quarterfinals
8 Chicago State Cougars at 1 Long Island Sharks, 7 ET, NEC Front Row
7 Wagner Seahawks at 2 Central Connecticut Blue Devils, 7 ET, NEC Front Row
6 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at 3 Mercyhurst Lakers, 7 ET, NEC Front Row
5 Stonehill Skyhawks at 4 Le Moyne Dolphins, 7 ET, NEC Front Row

OVC - 1st Round
8 Eastern Illinois Panthers v 5 SIU Edwardsville Cougars, 7 ET, ESPN+
7 Little Rock Trojans v 6 Lindenwood Lions, 9:30 ET, ESPN+

Summit League - 1st Round
9 Kansas City Roos v 8 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, 8 ET, Midco Sports Net

Sun Belt - 2nd Round
12 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns v 9 James Madison Dukes, 6 ET, ESPN+
11 Old Dominion Monarchs v. 10 Georgia Southern Eagles, 8:30 ET, ESPN+

Kind of...: Conference tournament games in the afternoon!!!